Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Paper flowers are so easy to make yet they can be rather expensive to buy. I recently found a package of 6 flowers for $5 at a local scrapbook store. Instead of buying the pre-made flowers I decided to buy some paper punches to make my own flowers. I bought the Martha Stewart hydrangea and rose leaf paper punches for a total cost of $20. I wanted the hydrangeas to mimic the colors of the hydrangeas in my garden so I chose purple and pink card stock. The flowers were easy to make and assemble.

I punched 18 hydrangeas out of pink card stock, 12 out of light purple, 6 out of blue violet and 10 out of dark purple card stock. Next I used pink chalk to highlight the centers of the pink flowers and purple to highlight the centers of the light and dark purple flowers. Starting at the center of the flower apply the chalk in a circular motion extending it toward each petal.

Using a stylus and a foam mat or the back of a mouse pad press the stylus into the center of the flower and move the stylus in a circular motion until the flower begins to have a cupped shape. Don't press too hard to avoid poking a hole in the center of the flower.

Next take a stylus or an awl and slightly curve the end of each petal backward.

Once the petals are curved add a small adhesive pearl to the center of each flower.

Punch the leaves out of parrot green Bazzill card stock. Place the leaf on the foam mat and press the stylus from the top of the leaf to the bottom to form a vein. Add smaller veins to the right and left of the center vein. Highlight the leaf with dark green chalk. Glue two or three leaves under the petals of each flower and set aside to dry.

After I had made all of the flowers I wanted to use them to make a card.

1. Fold a piece of parchment card stock in half lengthwise and crease.

2. Cut the second largest rectangle from the Spellbinders die set out of parchment card stock.

3. Place a foam dot on the back of each of the flowers and position the flowers on the parchment rectangle as shown in the picture.

4. Cut a piece of blue and white print card stock from the Ariana collection 4 7/8 inches wide by 7 1/2 inches long. Glue the card stock to the front of the folded parchment card stock, leaving a border around the edges of the card.

5. Center the parchment rectangle on the blue and white card stock and attach with foam dots.

6. Cut a piece of purple ribbon approximately 5 1/4 inches and tuck under the edges of the blue and white patterned card stock. Position the ribbon at the bottom edge of the card stock, just under the parchment rectangle. Glue in place. Using the purple ribbon tie a small bow and attach to the center of the purple ribbon.

7. Place the faux pearls in the upper right and lower left corners of the blue and white patterned card stock. The pearls on the left side of the card should be slightly above the ribbon. Press the pearls in place.

8. Lightly spray the flowers with the pearl Glimmer Mist and let them dry.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Cricut's Kate's ABCs cartridge is quickly becoming my favorite cartridge because the images are so cute. I especially liked the image of the girl hugging the kitten and thought it would make a nice Mother's Day card. I wanted the girl with the kitten to be the focal point so I decided to use a ribbon rather than a lot of other embellishments.

1. Using the Cricut Kate's ABCs cartridge cut Girl 6 at 3 inches out of brown card stock. Press the Shift and Girl 6 keys and cut the grass out of green card stock. Next press the Layer 1 key and cut the hat and dress out of medium pink card stock. Press the Shift and Layer 1 keys and cut the dress and flower out of dark pink card stock. Press the Layer 2 key and cut the hat out of yellow card stock. Press the Shift and Layer 2 keys and cut the face, hands and feet out of light tan card stock. Assemble the image and highlight the girl's face and lips with a pink pastel or chalk. Highlight her arm with light pink chalk and the grass with green chalk. Apply the platinum stickles to the cat's neck to make a collar.

2. Cut the pendant out of light pink card stock using the Spellbinders die.

3. Use the Sizzix Damask embossing folder to emboss a piece of white card stock.

5. Fold a piece of white card stock in half lengthwise. Center the pink card stock on the white card and glue it approximately 2 inches from the bottom of the card. Glue the white embossed card stock on top of the light pink leaving a 1/4 inch border on all sides. Attach foam dots to the back of the lattice pendant and position it approximately 1 inch from the edge of the embossed white card stock. Attach foam dots to the back of the girl with the kitten image and center it on the lattice pendant. Position the flowers near the grass blades and secure them in place with foam dots. You may have to cut the dots so that they fit the flowers. Position the butterfly just above the upper right edge of the pendant and secure in place with a foam dot.

6. Cut a piece of ribbon the width of the card plus 1/2 inch and glue to the card approximately 1 inch from the bottom of the card. Tie a small bow and glue to the ribbon.

1. Using the Cricut Kate's ABC's cartridge select the bunny and cut the image at 3 inches out of light brown card stock. Press the Shift and the bunny keys and cut the grass out of bright green card stock. Press the Layer 1 key and cut the grass blade. Press the Shift and Layer 1 keys and cut the flowers and dragon fly out of bright pink card stock. Press the Layer 2 key and cut the flowers center out of yellow card stock. Assemble bunny, the dragon fly and the flowers. Glue a googly eye to the bunny's head. Tie a small bow with the blue ribbon and glue it to the bunny's neck. Highlight the grass and the grass blades with green chalk or green pastels.

2. Cut a piece of bright blue card stock approximately 5 1/2 inches long by 4 inches wide and emboss it using the Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder.

3. Attach foam dots to the back of the bunny, flower and dragon fly. Position the bunny 1 inch from the bottom of the embossed card stock and press in place. Place the dragon fly to the right of the bunny and the flower between the grass blades and press in place.

4. Cut a piece of yellow multi-print ribbon approximately 10 inches. Center the ribbon on the front of the card and fold the ends of the ribbon under the top and bottom edges of the card. Glue the ends of the ribbon in place. Tie a small bow and glue over the ribbon approximately 1 inch from the bottom of the card.

6. Using Microsoft Word and the Cataneo BT font at 18 type Just hopping by to wish you Happy Easter! Print it on white card stock. Trim the card stock close the greeting. Cut a piece of bright pink card stock slightly larger than the card stock with the greeting. Glue the greeting to the pink card stock. Center the greeting on the embossed blue card stock and position it so that the pink card stock rests just above the second row of embossed dots. Glue in place.

Easter is quickly approaching and my cards are finally finished. While I enjoy making the cute bunny themed cards I wanted to do something different. Cricut's Inspired Heart Lite cartridge contains religious images. The crucifix seemed like the perfect choice for my Easter card. I cut the crucifix out of bronze metallic card stock and then used the d-stress tool to distress the edges to make the image stand out.

2. Using the Inspired Heart cartridge cut Christ 2 at 3 inches out of the bronze metallic card stock. Press shift and the Christ 2 image and cut the background out of light purple card stock. Using the d-stress tool and the white tip, lightly distress the edges of the crucifix. Attach the crucifix to the purple background. Press the phrase key and the Dreidal key and cut rejoice at l inch out of purple shimmer card stock.

3. Cut a piece of purple shimmer card stock 1/4 inch larger, on all sides, than the light purple card stock and attach the image with foam dots.

4. Punch the long edge of a piece of parchment card stock with the Martha Stewart doily border punch. Cut the doily strip approximately 7/8 inches wide (measured from the scalloped edge of the border). Cut a strip of purple shimmer card stock approximately 3/4 inch wide and attach it under the doily strip so that the scalloped edge almost touches the edge of the purple strip. Glue the border to the right edge of the card so that the purple edge faces inward.

5. Center rejoice and glue it approximately 1/2 inch from the top of the card.

6. Use the Martha Stewart dove paper punch to punch a dove out of white card stock. Highlight the edges of the dove with Tim Holtz tea dye distress ink. Glue the dove to the left of rejoice.

7. Center the purple backed crucifix and glue it approximately 1 1/2 inches from the bottom edge of the card.

8. Tie a knot in a piece of gold mesh ribbon and glue it under rejoice.

9. Tie a small bow around three Calla Lilies. Glue the lilies at an angle on the lower right edge of the card. Trim the ends of the stems so they don't extend past the edge of the card.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

One of the nice things about living in the Washington, DC area is the annual arrival of the Cherry Blossoms. The Cherry trees bloom around the last week of March and the first week of April. They line both sides of the Reflecting Pool in front of the Jefferson Memorial. When the Cherry blossoms are at their peak this is the most beautiful spot in the city.

I made this card in honor of the beautiful Cherry Blossoms but the card can be used for other occasions (birthdays, Mother's Day). I cut one corner off of Bo Bunny a gift of love paper and then ran it through a crimper to give some texture and evoke the feeling of a fan. Rather than use a traditional card greeting, I decided to use part of the quote by Kahil Gibran-...Beauty is a light in the heart.

2. Print ...Beauty is a light in the heart. -Kahil Gibran on white card stock using Microsoft Word and Calligraph 421 BT font at 18. Trim the card stock so that a small border surrounds the quote.

3. Cut lower left corner of the Bo Bunny paper 4 1/2 inches long by 3 1/2 inches wide. You want the brown scalloped edge on the left and bottom of the paper. Turn the paper so that the blue corner is at an angle. Feed the blue corner into the Fiskars crimper to begin crimping the paper.

4. Stamp the Hero Arts doll onto a piece of white card stock with black ink. Use the colored pencils to color in the doll. Carefully cut out the doll. Turn the crimped paper so that the brown scallops run along the side and bottom and the blue edge is at the top. Attach the doll to the Bo Bunny paper using foam dots. Tie a small bow with the pink and white dotted ribbon and glue to the top corner of the fan. Position the center scallop approximately 1 7/8 inches from bottom of the card. glue in place. Tuck the quote just under the blue edge and glue in place.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

I'm always thinking of ideas for future projects. I would jot the ideas on post-it notes and leave them on my desk. The problem was that I didn't have a good system for storing the notes and there wasn't enough room to make sketches. Brittany, the ever practical one, suggested that I use a small sketch book to jot down my ideas. This would not only keep my ideas organized but also allow me to make a sketch of the project.

I have been reading Vanished Smile-The mysterious disappearance of the Mona Lisa by R.A. Scotti. L'Affaire de la Joconde was the inspiration for this project. My sketch book was drab and uninspiring-the perfect candidate for a make over. I chose an earth tone color palette to compliment the picture and give the project an aged appearance. Since visitors to the Louvre often placed flowers on the floor beneath the painting I decided to add a rose at the base of la Joconde to represent the flowers left by her admirers.

1. Scan a picture of the Mona Lisa into the computer and print a 3x5 inch picture onto photo paper. Trim the excess photo paper off so that only the picture remains. Cut a piece of light brown hand made paper 1/4 inch larger (on all sides) than the picture. Attach the picture to the hand made paper using double stick tape. Cut a piece of slate green card stock slightly larger than the light brown hand made paper. Attach the hand made paper with the picture to the slate green card stock using double stick tape.

2. Cover the cover of the sketch book with gesso and let it dry overnight. Apply a second light coat of gesso and let it dry.

3. Tear the tan flowered pattern tissue paper into large pieces and glue to the top of the sketch book, slightly over lapping the pieces until the entire book is covered. Let it dry thoroughly.

4. Center the Mona Lisa on the sketch book and glue in place.

5. Print L'Affaire de la Joconde on parchment card stock using Microsoft Word and the Trebuchet 24 pt font. Cut the title to fit the front of the sketch book. Center it over the Mona Lisa and glue in place.

6. Lightly apply Modge Podge to the cover of the sketch book to seal it. Let it dry completely. It may take a day or two depending on the humidity. Lightly sand the piece and apply another light coat of Modge Podge. Let it dry and lightly sand the cover again.

7. Attach a mulberry flower rose to the bottom of the picture. Punch two rose leaves out of the slate green card stock and glue under the edges of the rose.